Peyton Manning on Golf With Trump: ‘Would’ve Been Un-American To Say No’
While Peyton Manning was in Washington D.C. to receive the Lincoln Medal for embodying Abraham Lincoln’s legacy, he spent some of his time on the links at the Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Virginia with the president. The former NFL quarterback spoke with Jimmy Kimmel, who immediately asked: Did Trump cheat?
Manning said Trump played an honest game (“I was counting his strokes,” he said with a laugh). Manning also said that people tried to talk him out of it when the White House first called him, but felt it would’ve been “un-American” to decline the offer.
“I heard Arnold Palmer say one time, ‘If the President of the United States ever asks you to play golf, you do it,'” Manning said. “It was a fantastic experience. Riding the motorcade over there — I’ve never felt safer playing golf. We had 30 golf carts behind us. [Trump] was a great host. He loves sports … it was just the experience of playing with the office that was pretty cool to me.”
It’s a rare occurrence for any celebrity or athlete to engage with Trump these days. Even Trump’s close friend Tom Brady publicly distanced himself from the President since he was sworn in.
Manning discussed how retirement is treating him, who he plans to make fun of the most at the ESPYS, the problems with fantasy football fans and – oddly – his nostalgia for the team locker room. “I guess more than anything what I miss is the camaraderie and the — of course [I miss showing with teammates]. There’s a group shower at this health club. I miss the showers, definitely miss the showers.”